Useful websites
Find out more about current environmental issues and programmes available on the following websites.
Biosecurity in New Zealand
If you are a student or a teacher looking for information about the biosecurity issues facing New Zealand visit this section to find out more about how individuals can help to protect our fragile environment.
www.mpi.govt.nz/protection-and-response
Clean up the world
Find out what the rest of the world is doing to reduce waste. This annual event, held around the third weekend of September each year, brings together millions of people in more than 100 countries and inspires them to clean up and conserve their environment.
www.cleanuptheworld.org
Department of Conservation
The Department of Conservation website has a very useful section for teachers and students. You can download publications and activity sheets based around themes in environmental education and find out about field trips that can be arranged in your region.
www.doc.govt.nz/get-involved
Ecological Footprint
Calculate your household, ecological footprint: i.e. the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated by your entire household.
econation.co.nz/footprint-calculators
Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority
Energy fuels our lifestyles, at work and at home, 24 hours a day. The time has come to make smarter energy choices - to get more value from the energy we use, waste less and start building a cleaner, more dependable energy system which makes better use of renewable energy resources.
www.eeca.govt.nz
Energy efficient lightbulbs - LED
Using energy efficient light bulbs is a great way to manage your electricity bills and reduce greenhouse emissions. Learn about making the switch to LED lighting.
genless.govt.nz/for-everyone/at-home/use-led-lighting
Emergency Management - What's the Plan Stan?
What's the Plan Stan is a National Emergency Management Agency initiative for primary schools, featuring Stan the dog. The emergencies include; earthquakes, tsunami, volcanoes, storms, floods and non-natural disasters. The education resource kit has a number of components:
- A guide for teachers, including unit plans and activities
- Stories and DVDs for teachers and students, including stories, interactive games, research material, tips for teachers and resources that can be cut and pasted into unit plans.
- Website: getready.govt.nz/prepared/school/whats-the-plan-stan
Estuaries Hub
Regional councils have been involved in developing this resource and some are actively using them to celebrate and connect work undertaken in their regions. Find information on Northland estuaries via the interactive maps and best practice links: http://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/habitats/estuaries/
The GLOBE Programme
The GLOBE Program enables you and your class to engage in a collaborative, scientific exploration of the world around you, collaborating with other teachers and students from around the world. The GLOBE Website provides access to materials to engage your students in science and scientific discovery. To see events, news and updates specific to New Zealand visit:
www.globe.gov/web/new-zealand
Guide to Local Government
An excellent guide to local government, what they do etc.
www.lgnz.co.nz
Kakariki Games - Cloak of Protection
Our Birds. Our Predators. An environmental CARD GAME. Whether any animal on our beautiful planet has a future is determined by how it can respond to the environmental cards dealt out by the cold & sweeping hand of fate.
kakarikigames.co.nz
Keep New Zealand Beautiful
Keep New Zealand Beautiful is a non profit organisation operating as a charitable trust to promote litter abatement, waste reduction and town and city beautification, setup under the NZ Litter Act 1979.
www.knzb.org.nz
Landcare Research
Tools and information aimed at school-aged children and young people
www.landcareresearch.co.nz/tools-and-resources/education
Marine Metre Squared
Marine Metre Squared is a useful website for anyone wanting to survey the plants and animals living on their local seashore.
www.mm2.net.nz
Maori Organisation online directory
The link below is to a comprehensive website directory of iwi and Maori organisations. One of its main purposes is to provide updated contact details so can be referred to as and when needed.
www.tkm.govt.nz
Science in a Van
Science in a Van is a a fun and innovate way to see, teach and engage with science. We travel the country providing training sessions for teachers, science shows and experiences for students. A blog is also available with free access and is regularly updated with classroom ideas and easy to follow experiments.
scienceinavan.blogspot.com
Do you have a useful site we should add to this list?
Send an mail to the Northland Regional Council webmaster with your own favourite New Zealand environmental education sites for teachers and students in New Zealand - [email protected]